


Harry's First Words

by NoveltyToy



Series: A Series of Seriously Bad Decisions [8]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Babies, Domestic Fluff, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22423876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoveltyToy/pseuds/NoveltyToy
Summary: I'm posting this by itself because it's completely innocent and none of my usual warnings apply. But this was written with the intention of possibly fitting into my Series of Seriously Bad Decisions where a lot of awful things happen. This is pre-bad things. This is Norman and Mendel having a loving relationship and taking care of cute baby Harry.
Relationships: Harry Osborn & Mendel Stromm, Harry Osborn & Norman Osborn, Norman Osborn/Mendel Stromm
Series: A Series of Seriously Bad Decisions [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/489850
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	Harry's First Words

"Norman, why haven't you been answering your phone?" Mendel was just returning home after a meeting that Norman was _supposed_ to attend. Mendel was greeted with the confounding sight of Norman sitting reclined with baby Harold in his arms. 

"Every time I try to move he starts to stir." As if that explains it entirely, and how Norman wound up in this position before the meeting—which had lasted over an hour. Had he _really_ been stuck here that long? 

"You cannot use this as an excuse to leave me twisting in the wind. Just like you can't use work as an excuse to stay away from Harry. You don't get to always pick whichever one is most convenient for you at any given moment."

Norman rolled his eyes and very carefully shifted Harry in his arms so he could turn himself to more directly face his annoyed lover/business partner. "Aerotech and I already came to an agreement and closed the deal an hour before."

Mendel sputtered for just a second, "And you didn't think to tell me that?"

"I decided that your presentation skills could benefit from a little more practice. And after all the time you spent preparing for this, I didn't want you to feel like it all went to waste." 

"But now you're telling me it was pointless." Mendel collapsed onto the couch situated across from Osborn. Too exhausted to start a fight and especially not when Norman and Harry cuddling was such a rare and precious sight to behold. "I'm still very angry with you,"  he said without any force behind it. "So how is little Harry doing today?" 

Norman's half smile was at odds with his droll tone as he informed Mendel of that day's events. "Harry ate all his food. Only spit up a little. Needed a bath promptly afterwards. He's such a messy eater." An unnecessary amount of detail went into describing bowel movements, color, texture and consistency. "Played with his toys while I video conferenced, and then we both settled down for his nap."

Mendel admired the way Norman looked this entire time. Content in a way that he'd never been before Harold was born. "Has he said anything yet?" The babbling had gotten closer and closer to real words. Mendel had been trying to train Harry to say Daddy in secret and he was so very, very close to enunciating _da-da_ with clear intent. 

"Yes," Norman smiled, and Mendel immediately felt affronted as though his lover had been burying the lead this whole time. Then Norman continued to talk in the way he usually did when he was telling Mendel what he thought to be an amusing lie. "In full sentences right after you left. He said, _'When is Daddy coming home?'"_

"He did not." 

"He did, and then I told him it would be confusing if he called us both dad, so we came to a mutual agreement that you will henceforth be called papa."

"No," Mendel shook his head and gestured with his hands. "He's not going to call me papa." 

"Everybody already calls me Daddy. Besides, papa is cute. Isn't he, Harry?"

The child was owlishly blinking his eyes open and brushing one tiny hand over his face as if he was trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. He yawned big and opened his mouth to speak a small amount of gibberish. Norman chose to interpret this as agreement. 

"You love your papa, don't you?" He cooed and directed Harry's attention to Mendel. Harry started to bounce a little as soon as he saw the tired old man. A big smile broke out on his tiny face. He reached out with both hands, making a grabbing motion as he did, surely trying to communicate a desire for closeness. "See," Norman started to tease his lover even more when he was unexpectedly interrupted. 

"Papa," Harry said and both men did a doubletake, as Harry continued with his grabby hands as if nothing significant had just happened. When neither Norman or Mendel made any move to fulfill Harry's command, Harry wiggled and repeated himself a little louder, "Papa!"

Now Norman was a little offended. "Is Daddy not good enough for you?"

Harry giggled as Norman maneuvered him to look up at his biological father. "Daddy lub you," Harry said. 

Mendel's smile was ear to ear, to finally hear his efforts pay off. After repeated coaching, telling Harry every day, _'Daddy loves you'_ for weeks. Harry was finally parroting the phrase and within range for Norman to appreciate it. 

"That sounded like a full sentence," Mendel could not be more proud. He only wished that Norman would stop looking so dumbfounded and respond with the enthusiasm that this warranted.

"Lub you Daddy," Harry clapped his hands, looking up at Daddy's gawking face. 

"Daddy loves you too," Norman finally managed to recover, but he couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.


End file.
